With the rise of online education, there are many careers available with a degree specializing in distance education. Many of the same roles needed at traditional colleges are also needed at online learning institutions. Here are some of the careers available for students who earn a degree that specializes in distance education.
Registrar Workers
Online learning institutions need registrar professionals just as much as traditional institutions do. Candidates with specializations in distance learning will be preferred because they have to manage standard class scheduling and curriculum inquiries for students who are not physically present. Duties of this career include accurately keeping track of each student’s classes and grades, responding to requests for transcripts, answering questions regarding graduation and degree requirements, determining whether a student has met requirements to be awarded a degree and more.
Instructor
All of the online college programs require qualified instructors to teach them, making this one of the careers available with a degree specializing in distance education. Professors may work out of an office at a traditional college or from a home office. They then conduct classes normally for the most part, just online. A college-level professor is not the only option either. Teachers specializing in distance learning will be in demand as more students in grades K-12 with special needs or other preferences take classes online. Students can even pursue a career as a tutor due to the many online options for tutoring students who need help with their schoolwork.
Distance Learning Coordinator
Online education services need administrators to oversee the online institutions, the staff that work at those institutions and the students choosing to receive their education there. According to PayScale, distance learning coordinators usually work for traditional universities to manage the distance programs those universities offer, making this one of the solid careers available with a degree specializing in distance education. They can work for community colleges, technical institutions and public or private colleges and universities. Distance learning coordinators act as liaisons between the students and the staff at the school to ensure a quality distance learning experience for all.
Financial Aid Officers
While not every online school offers financial aid, many do. For this reason, financial aid officers knowledgeable of distance education may be highly desired by certain institutions. These professionals are responsible for answering questions students may have about financial aid as well as determining the amount of aid each individual student can receive. They do this by analyzing many factors such as parent income, academic performance and more. They also manage outside scholarships students may bring in and determine if they are acceptable. This may require working and communicating with the awarding organizations.
Admissions Counselors
Admissions counselors determine who is admitted to learning institutions or to specific programs. Evaluating applications for distance learning opportunities can be more of a challenge because admissions counselors may not meet the student in person. While some distance learning programs admit anyone who can pay, others are more selective. Admissions counselors have the responsibility of recruiting new students by selling the educational experience their institution offers. Because of their key role in recruiting new students to a school, some level of travel is usually required for this position, even if the institution is wholly online.
Related Resource: Top 10 Master’s in Teaching and Learning Online
As distance learning becomes more heavily used by the population, education graduates with a specialization in distance learning will have significant job opportunities available to them. Consider all of these careers available with a degree specializing in distance education.
